Pain research & management : the journal of the Canadian Pain Society = journal de la société canadienne pour le traitement de la douleur
-
Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) are characterized by moderate to severe pain in the masticatory muscles and/or the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). The present study is a part of a multidisciplinary project, initiated by the Norwegian Ministry of Health. The main purpose of this study is to compare a cohort of TMD patients to healthy individuals regarding experimental pain, the degree of disability caused by living with pain and psychometric variables, and to investigate which of these variables is the best predictor for TMD patients. ⋯ The conditional logistic regression model identified catastrophizing (OR = 2.42, CI 1.22-4.79) as a significant predictor of TMD patients. The results support this hypothesis and indicate that TMD patients have lower pain thresholds and more disability when living with pain compared to healthy individuals, where the strongest prediction for TMD was catastrophizing. Awareness of psychometric disabilities in TMD patients is of importance when considering the choice of treatment.
-
Patients with degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis (DLS) often suffer from years of low back pain (LBP) due to instability of the lumbar spine and the reduction of disc height. Since January 2016, we have performed oblique lateral interbody fusion (OLIF) on 154 patients. Among these, 56 patients who suffered from DLS underwent OLIF with stand-alone cages. ⋯ Except for one patient whose cage subsided during the last follow-up, the other patients had good cage position. The one whose cage collapsed complained no symptoms including LBP. OLIF with stand-alone cages should be considered as a safe and effective option which can effectively alleviate LBP for the treatment of DLS.
-
Epiduroscopy is a type of spinal intervention that visualizes the epidural space through the sacral hiatus using a fiberoptic scope. However, it is technically difficult to perform compared to conventional interventions and susceptible to complications. Surgery simulator has been shown to be a promising modality for medical education. ⋯ The realism of the epidural simulator was evaluated to be acceptable in 40%. Participants improved their simulator skills through repeated attempts. The epiduroscopy simulator helped participants understand the anatomical structure and actual epiduroscopy.
-
Pain catastrophizing may contribute to the altered trunk muscle activity in patients with nonspecific chronic low back pain (NSCLBP). It is unclear if pain catastrophizing influences static postural control in patients with NSCLBP. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between pain catastrophizing and static postural control in NSCLBP patients. ⋯ Static postural control was associated with pain catastrophizing, voluntary activation of TrA, and age in participants with NSCLBP. This indicated that pain catastrophizing may affect postural control and should be considered when interpreting balance test results and managing NSCLBP.
-
Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are an important public health problem in working environments. WMSDs are the major causes of disability and cause individual suffering and financial burdens to the individual, families, industry or employer, healthcare system, and society at large. This study aims to assess the prevalence and associated factors of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among bankers working in Mekelle city, Tigray, Ethiopia, 2018. This study is based on an institutional-based cross-sectional study design, where 328 bankers are selected randomly from bankers working in Mekelle city from February to June 2018. Data were entered, organized, and analyzed by SPSS version 23. A final logistic model was run to identify factors associated with WMSDs, and the magnitude and direction of association were decided based on the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) and its corresponding 95% confidence interval (95% CI). ⋯ The prevalence of WMSDs among bankers was high. The significant associated factors responsible for the occurrence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders include longer working experience, being above 30 years old, low educational status, physical exercise, job stress, poor posture, absence of breaks during working hours, and absence of ergonomic training.